Three Reconstructions of the Han Dynasty: I Helped Zhuge Liang Perfect the Longzhong Plan

On the official road from Ba Commandery to Chengdu, an army of over 20,000 men was slowly marching north, amidst billowing dust and perfectly aligned ranks. Leading the army was a white-haired general, clad in heavy armor, wielding a large sword, and seated upright on his horse—none other than Yan Yan, the veteran general of Ba Commandery.

Since he was stationed in Jiangzhou, he had earned the deep respect of the soldiers and civilians of Bashu. Previously, when Liu Bei entered Sichuan, he had denounced Liu Zhang for "sitting alone in a desolate mountain, inviting a tiger to defend himself," demonstrating the integrity of a veteran general from Shu. This time, his decision to raise an army was not made hastily, but after the news of the defeat at Luocheng and Zhang Ren's death reached Ba County, he secluded himself for three days and repeatedly pondered the matter before making the decision.

Inside the government office, Yan Yan stared at the battle report delivered by the remnants of the Luocheng army, her fingers clenched so tightly they turned white.

He had worked with Zhang Ren for many years and knew him well for his unparalleled loyalty and bravery. The death of such a fierce general was not due to a lack of fighting ability, but entirely because Liu Zhang was muddle-headed and made a mistake, losing the hearts of the people.

Then, recalling the secret reports previously relayed by spies: Liu Zhang had already secretly sent an envoy to Cao Cao, plotting to join forces to eliminate Liu Bei, completely disregarding the original alliance that invited Liu Bei to Sichuan to resist Zhang Lu, thus breaking faith and betraying his promise first, which led to the two armies going to war, causing the soldiers of Shu to die in vain and the people to be displaced.

Yan Yan dedicated his life to guarding Ba Commandery, his aim never being loyalty to any particular lord, but rather to protecting the territory of Yi Province and safeguarding the people of Shu. Liu Zhang, on the other hand, was weak and incompetent. For many years, he indulged powerful clans in oppressing the people, neglecting domestic affairs and demoralizing the army. He was indecisive, fickle, and untrustworthy, lacking both the ability to defend the territory and the capacity to tolerate others. For his own power, he was willing to plunge the entire Yi Province into war. Such a lord was not worth protecting to the death.

Since entering Sichuan, although Liu Bei had clashed with Liu Zhang, he had always restrained his subordinates, refraining from disturbing the people or massacring cities. After capturing Luocheng, he spared the surrendered soldiers and treated Liu Xun kindly. His reputation for benevolence had already spread throughout the counties of Yizhou. Moreover, Liu Bei was a member of the Han imperial family, giving him a legitimate reason to wage war. This military campaign was a counterattack against Liu Zhang's betrayal, not an unprovoked invasion.

"Liu Zhang has lost his virtue, the morale of his army, and the hearts of the people. If Yizhou remains in his hands, it will sooner or later be a scene of devastation." Yan Yan looked at the generals below and spoke in a deep, resolute voice, "I have guarded Shu for half my life, and I cannot allow the people of the entire province to be ruined because of a foolish ruler! Now that Luocheng has fallen, if Liu Zhang still refuses to surrender, the soldiers and civilians of Chengdu will suffer heavy casualties. Although Liu Xuande is an external enemy, he has been able to bring peace to Yizhou and quell the chaos. Only by surrendering can the war be stopped and the people be at peace!"

"Only by going to our aid can we intimidate Chengdu and force Liu Zhang to surrender!"

Immediately, Yan Yan issued a proclamation to the entire Ba Commandery, enumerating Liu Zhang's treachery and misdeeds in causing chaos in Yizhou, and declaring his allegiance to Liu Bei. As soon as the proclamation was issued, all the garrison commanders of Ba Commandery responded, and local militias and remnants of county troops flocked to join him. In just a few days, more than 20,000 people gathered and headed north, heading straight for Liu Bei's camp outside Chengdu.

A scout rode swiftly from Liu Bei's camp to report.

"My lord! Yan Yan of Ba Commandery has surrendered with his army. He has gathered more than 20,000 soldiers and civilians along the way and is waiting outside the camp!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei was overjoyed and immediately led Pang Tong, Fa Zheng, Gu Sulin, and other civil and military officials out of the camp to personally welcome them.

Gu Sulin followed beside Liu Bei, gazing at Yan Yan's orderly army formation in the distance. He secretly understood and pondered: The world thinks that Yan Yan is fierce and would never surrender easily, but they do not understand Yan Yan's true loyalty and righteousness.

His loyalty was never blind loyalty, but loyalty to the people of Yizhou and to the stability of the region.

Although he, like Huang Quan, represented the local gentry of Yizhou, his primary concern was preserving Yizhou and preventing the devastation of the Shu region through bloodshed. If he were truly pedantic, the famous story of Zhang Fei releasing Yan Yan out of righteousness would not have occurred.

If Liu Bei fails to capture Luocheng after a prolonged siege, it means he has wasted his troops and supplies and is incapable of taking control of Chengdu. Therefore, he should wait and see.

But now Liu Bei is conquering cities and capturing strongholds, and his morale is high. It's only a matter of time before he takes down Chengdu. If Chengdu continues to resist, it will be a catastrophe for the soldiers and civilians in the city.

Liu Zhang was weak and untrustworthy. He first led Liu Bei into Sichuan, then colluded with Cao Cao to betray him, destroying the foundation of morality and plunging Yizhou into war. This had already chilled the hearts of loyal and virtuous officials like Yan Yan. Yan Yan's surrender this time was not out of cowardice, but to quell the war and protect the people. It was entirely in line with his upright and honest character, and his concern for the people's livelihood. He did not betray his true nature in the slightest.

Moreover, Yan Yan had been stationed in Ba Commandery for many years and had extremely high prestige. His surrender was not like the surrender of Li Yan, Wu Yi and other Dongzhou faction members. It was not a simple surrender of troops, but rather represented that most of the local gentry in Yizhou had already decided that Liu Zhang had lost the hearts of the people and that Liu Bei was the wise ruler who could stabilize Yizhou.

For Liu Zhang, who was trapped in Chengdu, this was the final blow that completely shattered his will to resist.

This is the benefit of upholding morality.

When Liu Yan entered Shu, he relied on the violent suppression of local powerful families by the Dongzhou troops. After Liu Zhang inherited his father's business, the power of checks and balances plummeted. Local powerful families did not obey orders, local prefects acted independently, and generals held their own armies. Yizhou looked like a province, but in essence it was a loose alliance, not a monolithic centralized territory.

This is also why, in history, when Luocheng and Chengdu were besieged, local counties did not come to their aid.

Since Liu Bei is no longer the treacherous villain who betrayed his relatives and seized their territory, and his ambition and talent far surpass Liu Zhang's, the Dongzhou faction, including Li Yan and Wu Yi, who are eager to make a name for themselves, should surrender quickly. Now that Liu Zhang is unable to resist Liu Bei's military might, it is only natural that a local veteran like Yan Yan, who is full of integrity, should come to help in order to protect the people of Shu from suffering.

With Gu Sulin's secret intervention, the moral high ground was secured, Pang Tong survived, and Luocheng fell swiftly. After their falling out at Jiameng Pass, they reached Chengdu in just over a month, unlike the historical record where they endured a year-long ordeal in Luocheng. At this time, Ma Chao was still in Liangzhou, not having joined Hanzhong, and would not come to their aid. This old general was perfectly positioned to provide the final key to conquering Chengdu.

Before Gu Sulin could finish his thoughts, Liu Bei strode forward, personally grasped Yan Yan's hand, and laughed loudly, "With the old general's help, it's like gaining an arm; the people of Yizhou will finally have peace!"

Yan Yan bowed respectfully, his expression calm: "I am not seeking fame or fortune, but only to spare the people of Shu from the ravages of war. I hope that after you take control of Yizhou, my lord will reduce taxes and levies, appease the people, and live up to the expectations of the soldiers and civilians of Shu."

"Rest assured, General, I hereby swear that I will treat the people of Yizhou well and will never resort to violence!" Liu Bei readily agreed and immediately ordered Yan Yan's troops to join forces with Liu Bei's army to besiege Chengdu.

……

Chengdu.

The people fell into complete calm, even a sense of relief. Some secretly opened their doors, wanting to see the army outside the city, and then to see the defenders on the city walls gradually laying down their weapons. There was no resistance, only sighs.

The will to resist in Chengdu completely crumbled from within.

Inside the mansion, Xu Jing and the others, seeing that the situation was hopeless, stepped forward and kowtowed to Liu Zhang, their voices earnest and pleading: "My lord! Things have come to this point, and there is no turning back!"

With General Yan Yan now surrendering to Liu Bei, and Liu Bei's army besieging Chengdu, external aid has been cut off and internal strife is gradually exhausting. If they continue to defend, Chengdu will surely become scorched earth!

My lord, for the sake of the people, please surrender!